Meet Patricia Shults

Art Alliance Austin is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has selected Patricia Shults as their new Executive Director, the position recently vacated by Jade Walker. Walker, a former long-time director of U.T.’s Visual Arts Center, has decided to transition over to the Board of Directors concurrent with the impending birth of her third child. “I am excited and have full confidence that Patricia’s is going to be an exceptional leader for the Alliance,” said Ms. Walker.

Shults comes to the Art Alliance from Sonoma, California, where she was the CEO of the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce, with a heavy emphasis on engaging the creative community. During her three-year tenure, she spearheaded the creation of both a Creative Alliance and an Innovation Alliance under a newly-formed Economic Development Division, which identifies under-resourced sectors – increasing opportunities, education, and funding for those in the creative economy. In addition, Shults has an extensive background in nonprofit management and is a graduate of the Institute for Organizational Management.

“I speak on behalf of the entire board when I say we believe Patricia’s vision around what the Alliance is and can be – along with her ability to engage in collaborative relationships – will be an effective complement to the work the Alliance does,” said Board Chair, Eric Hiduke. “Her understanding of the importance of a strong interdependence between the creative and business communities was a key determining factor.”

Board Member, Antonio Madrid, added: “Our hands-on board will continue to work closely with the director on expanding community access to the arts and support for both established and emerging artists.”

Shults will begin with the Alliance on February 1st. A welcome reception will be announced soon.

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Art Alliance Austin is your connection to Austin art.

Art Alliance Austin is your entry point to the Austin art scene. We connect you to the arts in Austin through our weekly listing of exhibition openings, through many events across the year, and through intimate introductions to local gallerists, artists, and collectors. Supporters of Art Alliance Austin are the backbone of our success and allow us to build a transformational model for the Austin art community by providing marketplace opportunities for Austin’s most exciting galleries, art non-profits, and individual artists. We believe Austin should be the most prominent contemporary art city in Texas and through our work, we are building a sustainable vision and collaborative connections to make that a reality.